Aeroplane.



ENEY.

JUNE 1 o. w. 0H

AEROPLA Patented 001;. 12, 1909.

` z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

#guiding or steering planes which so as to cause the trol UM TED ysinrne CHARLES w. CHENEY, or nnooKLINn, ,r/tAssAeHUsErrs.

iiniornaim y especially to steering and guiding -means therefor.

improvements consist in a plurality of structed and arranged that they the; aeroplane.

My improved guiding or steering planes of, the aeroplane and they are also so sust he main supporting planes. y sustaining the guiding planes in t-his way they canbe adjusted so as toA have a greater- 0il less lifting effect and can valso Abe adjusted i aeroplane to turn j direction or the other'. Inithe preferred einbodiineiit of my invention these guiding planes are so sustained that they are always in perfect balance, both as to Weight and as to wind pressure and, therefore, they can be readily adjusted as desired for proper conof the aeroplane. i n important feature of the invention is t at my improved guiding' planes not only act as a means for guiding the aeroplane both laterally and verticali but they also vact to prevent skidding and increase the lateral stability .of the aeroplane. @his result is secured by reason of the peculiar dihedral angleatwhich they are operated.

. Referring to the drawings wherein have shown a selected embodiment of my invention, Figure l isa perspective view of an aeroplane showing my improvements applied thereto; Fig.. 2 is a side View of Fig.. l; llfig'. 3 is a top Fig. l; Figs. d, 5, 6 and? are diagram views plan View of a portion of Specicaton of Letters Patent. .eppiibation'iea June i, i909.. serial no. 499,427.

in one' taken on substantially the line as Fig. 2, looking toward 'the ri ht and' showing the guiding planes in `dierent angular positions for securing diiierent effects.

y improvements can be applied to any aeroplane, dirigible balloon, or any other type of air ship, regardless of its principal features of construction. I have herein shown it as applied to an aeroplane comprising the two main planes 3 and 4 which are supported by" suitable framework 5 and which are provided with apro eller 6 oper- .ated by' a motor 7 for causing it to advance. The .aeroplaneI hereinfshown also has the runners or shoes 8 which are adapted to slide along the track while it is` being start-- ed, and' the frame is provided with the'forward extension 9 carrying an auxiliary plane 10 at the forward end thereof. rlhese parts, however, form no part of my" present inventioiibut are referred to merely as illustrating one type of aeroplane to which my invention may be applie l AS stated above my. improvements relate to the guiding or steering planes, and in the present embodiment l have showntwo such planes at 11 and' l2 respectively. It is not essential to the invention that only two guiding planes should be used, however, as the number of guiding ried with out departing from the invention. The guiding planes are each so supported that they may be turned from a vertical position into a horizontal position about an axis which extends in of movement 'of the aeroplane, and the construction issuch that in their horizontal positions they are inclined with relation to the main sup orting planes. By pivoting the guiding p anes to turn about an axis extending .in the general direction of the movenient of thev main plane, said guiding 4planes will always be balanced as t o wind pressure, and, therefore, can be readily shifted from one positigon to another with a slight expenditure of power.

ln .the preferred embodiment of my i n vention 'the axes for the guiding planes will .be locato pass through said planes, al-

though this is not essential to the invention, providedsafid axes extend in the general direetionef the movement of the aeroplane. ere the ares are arranged to pass through the guiding planes, l propose to place these axes at an angle to the main planes 3 and 4, and this is 'the construction shown in the Patented ont. re, ieee.

planes may be vathe general direction the axis /of each plane will be stitutes, therefore,

present drawings wherein the guiding planes 11 and 12 are pivoted on rods 13 which form part. of the extensions 9. The two axes of the guiding planes are each other and each extends at an angle to the main plane although they both extend in the general direction of movement of the aeroplane. I prefer to arrange the guiding planes with their axes situated centrally therof so that the area on opposite sides of the same.

The advantage of this construction is that i the guiding planes will be always in balance both as to their ,weight Landy as to the wind pressure. T,he placing of the axes centrally of the planes gives the desired balance as to the weight and extending the axes in the general direction of the movement of the aeroplane gives the pressure.

Provision is made for turning the guiding planes about their axes, and while any suitable mechanism for accomplishing this may be used, I have erein shown each guiding lane as having two flexible cords 14, 18 secured to the `top and bottom thereof, respectively, which cords pass through direction pulleys 15 and extend back to the main plane 4 where they are connected together and/pass around a pulley 1G. 'An operating lever' 17 is connected Ito one ofgthe cords leading to each guiding plane. By drawing on either cordl 14 or 18, the angular position of the corresponding guiding plane can be readily adjusted, as will be obvious, and the mechanism just above described cona simple means for adjusting and controlling the angular position of these planes.

' sition shown in full lines shown in Fig. 5.

The guiding planes are so constructed that they may be swung from the vertical po- L1 into the horizontal position shown in dotted lines said figure, or in any other position intermediate of these two extreme positions. When they stand in the vertical position they have no lifting effect, but they do operate to prevent sluing of the aeroplane to one side. If these guiding p lanes are swungitothe horizontal position shown 1n dotted lines Fig. L1, they will have a lifting effect because of the angular position o ftheir axes. If they are swung into a posltlon midway between the two pos itions above referred to, they will have both a lifting effect and a steadying effect against any side sluing.

' The normal position of the guiding planes hen the aeroplane is sailing horizontally will be Vsomewhere between the vertical and horizontal position, such, for instance, as l n When the guiding' planes are 1n thisv position their lifting effect will augment the lifting effect of the auxiliary plane 10 sufiiciently so as to hold the aeroplane in an approximately horizontal pobalance as to the Wind.

shown as parallel to l action will permit the aeroplane to ment of the aeroplane @sesos sition. If the guiding planes are thrown vinto the vertical position, however, -their lifting action ceases and the loss of such lifting gradually descend. If the guiding planes are thrown into a more nearly horizontal position than their normal position` then their lifting action increases and such increased lifting action will cause the aeroplane to ascend. So long as the two guiding planes are moved in unison and to the sameextent but in opposite directions, they have only a greater or less lifting effect. If, however, one of the guiding planes is turned to a greater or less degree than the other, then they operate to change the direction of the aeroplane. If, for instance, the plane 11 were in the vertical position as'sliown in Fig. 6 and the plane 12 wereswungintotheinclinedposition'shown in said figure, then the plane 12 would have a lifting action while the plane 11 would not, and as a result the left-hand side of the aeroplane would rise and said aeroplane would turn to the right. On the other hand, if the guiding plane l1 were thrown intol the inclined position and the guiding plane 12 was in the vertical position as shown in Fig. 7, then the right-hand side of the aeroplane would rise and said aeroplane would turn to the left.

The mechanism I have shown for operating the aeroplanes permits them to be adjusted independently or simultaneously, and therefore with my invention it is possible to control the aeroplane perfectly,- both as to elevation and as to direction, simply by means of the two guiding planes illustrated.

I regard it' as important that the guiding planes should be mounted to turn about axes that extend in the general direction of movebecause by this means eachguiding plane is always balanced as to wind pressure and can be moved with a slight expenditure of power. It is not essential that the axes of the two planes should b e parallel. Y

I believe I am the first to provide a guiding plane which is adapted to turn about an axis extending in the general direction of movement of the aeroplane, and which is also adapted to -be'turned about said axis from a vertical to approximately a horizontal position, in which latter position it occupies a plane inclined to the main supporting planes, and I desire to claim this feature regardless of the particular manner in which 'the guiding planes are sustained. The shape of the'guiding plane is not essential to my invention either and it may be of any shape adapted to perform the required effect.

It is not necessary to my invention that. the guiding plane should be situated in lfront of the main planes, as theymightbe "situatedin the rear thereof, or at the sides .thereofa or 1n any other suitable position.

paseos 'are that these guiding planes are so sustained that they can be used both for changing the elevation and the direction laterally of the aeroplane merely by shifting their positions, the change in elevation being accomplished by shift-ing the two planes in unison, and thel cha-nge in direction being' accomplished by shifting'said planes relative to, each. other; and that the guiding planes not only operate `tof steer or guide the aeroplane, but also give to it an increased lateral stability. Neither is it essential to my invention that only two of these guiding planes be employed for it will be possible to use a larger number, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

IVhere the guiding planes are used in con nection with an auxiliary plane 10, as herein illustrated, said guiding planes may act merely, to control the balance of power sufficient to properly steer the aeroplane, for the auxiliary plane 10 may be made of a size to very nearly support the front end of the aeroplane properly, and the guiding planes may be of a size ust suhciently large so that when they are thrown into a horizontal position they will cause the aeroplane to ascend,- whilc when they are thrown into a vertical position, they will permit it to descend. If, however, the auxiliary plane l0 is not employed, then the guiding planes might have to be of a greater size.

I ind'that an aeroplane embodying m improvement will tend to right itself automatically if it should be thrown out of proper vertical position by wind currents or other disturbing elements.

I have herein used the expression in the general direction of the movement of the aeroplane in a broad sense to mean any direction which extends generally fore and aft of the aeroplane, and without intending that the expression should be limited to the direction which is at right angles to the transverse axis of the aeroplane. I have l used this expression to distinguish fromv an axis which extends transversely to the general direction of the aeroplane.

Having fully described my invention, what claim as new 'and desire to secure by Letters Patentisz- 1. In an aeroplane, the combination with mainy supporting planes, of tguiding planes mounted'to swing about an axis extending inthe general direction of travel of the aeroplane and from a vertical position into approximately a horizontal position with the surface thereof having an inclination to the surface of the main planes.

2. In an aeroplane, the combination with main supporting planes', of guiding planes, each pivoted to turn about anv axis extending in the general direction of movement of the aeroplane. v a

3. In an aeroplane, the combination with main supporting planes, of balanced guiding planes, each pivoted to turn about an axis extending in the general direction of movement of the aeroplane but inclined to the main plane.

4. In an aeroplane, the combination with main supporting planes, of two balanced guiding planes pivoted to turn about parallel axes which extend in the general direction of movement of the aeroplane but are situe ated at an angle to the main plane.

5. In an aeroplane, the'combination with main supporting planes, of guiding planes, each centrally pivoted to turn 'about' an axis extending in the general direction fore and aft of the aeroplane but inclined to the main planes.

6. In an aeroplane, theV combination with main supporting planes, of balanced guiding planes, each pivoted to turn about an axis extending in the general direction of movement of thel aeroplane but incllned to the main plane, and means to operate the guiding planes independently of each other.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.CHARLES W. CHENEY.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, FREDERICK S. .GREENLEAR 

